Amsterdam, Netherlands

Right now I am in an AWESOME biblioteek (library) in Amsterdam. For the first time all trip it is raining outside. Oh well. Today is a traveling day (well, it is supposed to be). My original plan was to leave tonight around 11:00PM and take multiple trains that get me to Berlin. I would be going alone, and had a 4 hour layover at one station that was not very big. I wasn't too thrilled about this, being alone in a small station at 3am in Germany, so my plan has changed (i think). I am most likely staying one extra night in Amsterdam and leaving at 7:00AM with James and Adam (two English people that I've met who are on roughly the same path as I am). A lot of people, actually, are going to Berlin next, then Prague, Vienna, Munich, eventually Spain then Paris. It will be neat seeing people that I met in an Amsterdam hostel at a museum /park in another city.

So that's the plan right now - Amsterdam one more night, Berlin in the morning getting there around 1:00PM (direct train with no stops as opposed to three stops, at night, traveling alone). Seems like the right decision.

Now, about Amsterdam. Very 'únique' city... a place everyone should experience. Certainly not my favorite place, but I am glad that I came here. The hostel I'm staying at (StayoKay Amsterdam Zeeburg) is huge. There were a lot of school groups occupying many rooms during my stay here, (lots of younger kids), but this wasn't a problem. The first day I went out exploring (rented a bike) with two students from India who I was rooming with. We ended up getting very lost but eventually made it back to the hostel around 9. Did you know that it stays light till ELEVEN o'clock at night here? Crazy.

Here are a few of my first impressions of this city, which I wrote about in my travel journal.

• It is extremely diverse here - definitely lot's of tourists from ALL OVER the world.
• The people here are very tolerant of many things: the loads of coffee shops / smart shops, for example.
• Seeing the red light district first hand is quite an experience. There was a father walking through this district with his son on his shoulders, old couples holding hands while looking in the windows, and groups of 50 asian tourists all staring in amazement. I sat around and watched all of their expressions, taking it all in. This would never be allowed in The States.

I could go on about my first impressions, but I still have a lot more to talk about. The RLD made me feel somewhat uncomfortable. I didn't exactly connect with the two people I was with, and this definitely was a main reason as to why I felt this way. Amsterdam is definitely a place to be with people you know and trust. I needed to meet some new people in my hostel and I did just that.

End of day 1: Meet James and Adam from England. I was having a beer in the bar / common area of the hostel and began talking with a group of people. We made plans to meet for breakfast and venture out the following day together. Vondelpark would be our destination.

Day 2: Vondelpark was GREAT - by far the best park I've been to in Europe (only seen 3 parks so far.. we'll see how it rates as my trip progresses). The weather was beautiful and we took full advantage of it. Frisbee, picture taking, and walking through markets were just a few of the things we did on Tuesday.



Playing frisbee in Vondelpark, Amsterdam.

Adam Wynn

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On the playground at Vondelpark. Adam on the left.

At night, we went around the corner to a local pub. They had bleachers on the inside, with a huge projection screen set up for the Holland vs. Romania game. Over a hundred people were there rooting Holland on. THEN there were two more TV's set up outside. With well over a hundred MORE people out there. Holland ended up winning the game and I have a great video of an after-goal celebration. If i can figure out how to upload it at my next hostel, I will do so.



Holland vs. Romania (picture by James).

My last night (or so I thought) in Amsterdam was fairly low key. We stayed in the hostel, chatted with some other travelers from Spain and England, played some pool (much different rules than we play here), and talked some more outside. Certainly not the crazy nights that most might expect happen in Amsterdam...but that is exactly what I was looking for.

Thought of the day: It's good to make friends while staying in big cities. Definitely eases fears and makes everything seem a lot less intimidating.



James and Adam standing in a fountain at Vondelpark.

Well, I could go on but I am going to spend some time walking around this massive library and taking pictures to show everyone back home. Hopefully none of you are worrying about how I am doing over here. I've met some great people and I am staying safe by not venturing out alone (and now, not traveling on the train alone at night). I'm looking forward to seeing you all in 6ish weeks, with plenty of amazing stories to tell you.

Time for some lunch (i've eaten way too many sandwiches that I make during breakfast to get me through the day / save money) and then it's relaxing some, maybe a drink or two, bed, and on to BERLIN, GERMANY! Goodbye for now.